ABSTRACT
Citizens for the Republic offered Ronald Reagan a number of advantages that he could not have achieved as a declared candidate for the presidential nomination. Reagan and his advisers soon realized that this committee could also be used to conduct a wide range of campaign-related activities that would keep Reagan in the public spotlight and allow him to expand his political organization in preparation for a possible run in 1980. Reagan was able to use his political action committee (PAC) as a vehicle for circumventing the presidential campaign finance regulations by deftly exploiting some of the technicalities embedded in the law. A PAC can accept large contributions that would be deemed illegal if given to a federal candidate. It can raise and spend an unlimited amount of money. The chapter also presents an overview of key concepts discussed in this book.
